CELEBRITY
Federer’s Retirement ‘Sad Day’ for Sport, Says Nadal
Roger Federer’s decision to retire from tennis is a “sad day” for sport, his great rival Rafael Nadal has said.
Federer, a 20-time Grand Slam champion, announced on Thursday that he would retire after the Laver Cup this month.
Only Spain’s Nadal, with 22 majors, and Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, with 21, have more men’s Grand Slam singles titles than the 41-year-old.
“Dear Roger, my friend and rival. I wish this day would have never come,” Nadal posted on social media.
“It’s a sad day for me personally and for sports around the world.”
Nadal defeated Federer 24 times in 40 matches during one of the most celebrated rivalries in tennis history.
“It’s been a pleasure but also an honour and privilege to share all these years with you, living so many amazing moments on and off the court,” Nadal said.
“We will have many more moments to share together in the future, there are still lots of things to do together, we know that.
“For now, I truly wish you all the happiness with your wife, Mirka, your kids, your family and enjoy what’s ahead of you. I’ll see you in London.”
Federer made his professional debut aged 16 in 1998 and won his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2003.
The chairman of the All England Lawn Tennis Club, Ian Hewitt, congratulated Federer on a “truly remarkable career”.
“He will forever be celebrated as one of our greatest Wimbledon champions, having lifted the trophy eight times from his 22 appearances at the All England Club,” Hewitt added.
Billie Jean King, a 12-time Grand Slam winner, said Federer is a “champion’s champion”.
“He has the most complete game of his generation and captured the hearts of sports fans around the world with an amazing quickness on the court and a powerful tennis mind,” she tweeted.
Former world number one Rod Laver also wrote on Twitter: “Thank you for everything Roger. See you soon.”
Eighteen-time Grand Slam singles champion Martina Navratilova said of Federer’s announcement: “What a heartfelt message, full of love, life, hope, passion and gratitude. Which is exactly how Roger played the game we love so much. Thank you, thank you thank you, for all the magic!”
ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said: “He spearheaded an incredible new era of growth and elevated the popularity of our sport. Few athletes have transcended their field in such a manner.”
Former British number one Annabel Croft told BBC Radio 5 Live: “When I think of Roger Federer, I think of his grace, his fluidity, his beauty, the way he played tennis.
“What a great icon for the sport, he sort of transcended it.
“He was also someone who was incredibly strong mentally. For most of the matches he played he had a massive big target on his back. But he seemed to enjoy and relish [being] under pressure.”
US Open champion and men’s world number one Carlos Alcaraz tweeted that Federer “has been one of my idols and a source of inspiration”, while the highest ranked female player, Iga Swiatek, thanked Federer for everything he had done for the sport of tennis.
Former Swiss Davis Cup captain Claudio Mezzadri referred to Federer as “much more than just a tennis player”.
“It’s an unbelievable career, he played for 24 years. He played more than 1,500 matches. It’s something impossible to think. He was such a nice guy, he was great to watch with the elegance and style he had, and still has, but he also was a great man outside the court,” Mezzadri told BBC Radio 5 Live.
Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first footballer to reach billionaire status, according to the latest Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which has valued the Portugal great’s net worth at an estimated $1.4 billion.
The 40-year-old striker’s financial ascent comes after he signed a new contract with Saudi side Al-Nassr in June reportedly worth more than $400 million.
Bloomberg said that Ronaldo earned more than $550 million in salary between 2002 and 2023, supplemented by a decade-long Nike deal worth nearly $18 million annually, and lucrative endorsements with Armani, Castrol and others that added more than $175 million to his fortune.
Ronaldo’s move to Al-Nassr from Manchester United in 2023 had already made him the highest-paid player in football history, with an annual salary of 177 million pounds ($237.52 million), plus bonuses and a reported 15% share in his Saudi Arabia club.
Argentina and Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi has earned more than $600 million in pre-tax salary during his career.
Ronaldo’s billionaire status places him among a rare group of athletes that includes basketball greats Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and LeBron James, golfer Tiger Woods and tennis player Roger Federer.
Ronaldo suggested he is not considering retirement any time soon.
“I still have a passion for this,” he said at the Portugal Football Globes gala on Tuesday. “My family says it’s time to quit and they ask me why I want to score 1000 goals if I’ve already scored 900-something. But I don’t think that way inside.
“I’m still producing good things, I’m helping my club and the national team. Why not continue? I am sure that when I finish I will leave full because I gave everything of myself. I know I don’t have many years left to play, but the few I have left, I have to enjoy them to the fullest.”
-Reuters
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Former England soccer captain David Beckham and actor Gary Oldman were knighted in King Charles’ annual birthday honours list on Saturday, while sculptor Antony Gormley was made a Companion of Honour.
Beckham, 50, joined Manchester United as a trainee in 1993, going on to make almost 400 appearances for the club where he won a string of titles and cups.
He subsequently played for Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, and Inter Milan, as well as captaining his country 58 times and making 115 appearances.
His marriage to fashion designer and former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham in 1999 cemented a celebrity status which went far beyond his sporting exploits.
Oldman, 67, started his career on the stage, where he was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, before rising to prominence in film. He won the best actor Oscar for playing Winston Churchill in the 2017 drama “Darkest Hour”.
He also had roles in the “Dark Knight Trilogy” and the “Harry Potter” movie series and more recently starred in the TV spy drama “Slow Horses”.
Other famous names receiving honours included damehoods for musical theatre star Elaine Paige, novelist Pat Barker and ceramics maker Emma Bridgewater.
Roger Daltrey, lead singer of rock band the Who and a patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust, received a knighthood for services to charity.
More than 1,200 people received honours for their achievements, with a particular focus on those who had given their time to public service, the government said.
King Charles’ official birthday will be celebrated with the annual “Trooping the Colour” military parade in London on Saturday. His actual birthday is on November 14
-Reuters
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One of three judges in Diego Maradona’s closely scrutinized homicide trial in Argentina resigned on Tuesday amid a scandal triggered by the alleged filming of an unauthorised documentary, bringing uncertainty to the future of legal proceedings.
The high-profile trial over the death of soccer star Maradona began on March 11 in the South American country where the World Cup winner is still revered.
-Reuters
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